My wife and I are considering going on a cruise for our anniversary in April. Was wondering if you guys had and advice/tips for us to consider before booking. Neither of us have ever been on a cruise before so it's all new to us. Our plan was to go see a travel agent to get some ideas and prices THEN shop around ourselves on the net to see what the best way to go is. Galveston only does Carnival and Royal Carribian so it's down to those because I don't think we want to drive to Florida to depart. Don't really want a "family" cruise so Disney and the like are out!! Any advice fellas/ladies???
Go to a destination and stay there, skip the fetid boat. The rooms are small, the food is cafeteria quality, the entertainment is lame, they are crowded with fat people. Go to The Caymans, Aruba, Cozumel, Belize, Los Cabos, Jamaica... you'll enjoy it more.
Went on the Carnival Triumph (post wall feces) and had a blast. Planning on doing it again with a bigger group next year. Food wasn't 5 Star, but was not cafeteria/prison food either. Best part is no matter the hour, you can get something to eat. All included in the cruise. ...Booze? Well, now- different story all together. Not included, and you will buy a lot of it. Plan for that.
You did it wrong. We always pack a suitcase full of booze, and make drinks in our room. Been on 7 cruises and never had an issue.
Us too....although on our last one we bought a bunch of bottles duty free @ Isla Rotan, and just walked up the stairs to the elevator to our room, bypassing the alcohol check in area.
Don't waste your time and money with a travel agent, the internet will do the job. vacations to go, like someone already posted, is a good place to start for cruises. I've been on a few cruises. They're for some people, not for others. Personally, I doubt I'll go on another one. I'd rather fly somewhere and stay at an all inclusive resort. The DR, PR, Bahamas, etc are all good places to start looking. If you're set on a cruise, I'd look at ones that go to the Bahamas, Cayman, etc. Skip the ones that go to Cozumel, Progresso, etc. There's nothing wrong with the boats that go to the Mexico cities, I just like visiting the islands better.
what info are you trying to find out? post your questions. royal caribbean is nicer than carnival. Both are pretty comparable. use the find a bargain link in top left. Vacations to go is fine for general pricing and info but they a trash company. Good for getting prices but that's about it. I wouldn't buy from them though. I know this from first hand experience in the business. it's popular because they spend the most money on advertising. Its true they are stuck in 1997 and so is the owner emerson. He even has a haircut like brandon from beverly hills 90210 circa 1997. He's a trust fund baby that inherited the role and if not for that he would be a garbage man. basically a joker company with a true joker running the show.
I am soon going on one too.. I had a few questions about bringing liquor. How do you guys bring it without it being taken? I was told i could bring 1 bottle of wine, but a few friends said to just wrap in towel in suitcase, but i dont want it taken..
I wound not recommend 7 days if you never been before. Like someone mentioned earlier its not for every one and 7 days is a long time if its not for you.
had business dealings with them. The cruise industry is pretty small world. It's a shame as there are many good people there as well.
Carnival Glory was fun! I rather enjoyed the cruise we went on. Then again I was a teenager at the time so I'm not sure how great it would be now
When we go, I work with an agent who gives me a kickback. I pay the exact same amount as I would if I went through the cruise website, but I also get a credit toward my final bill, or credits for excursions booked through the cruiseline. You can bring a case of water, a 12 pack of soda, and a bottle of wine, per person. We use rum runners to sneak in liquor, bring our 52 ounce bubba mugs, and get a bucket of ice. We then make the drinks in our rooms and bring them with us. If I know we're going to be out of the room for a while, I'll bring an 8 ounce rum runner flask with me. I know Carnival does a thing called "early saver". If you book more than 6 months in advance, you get a good price. The real advantage (that a lot of people don't know about) is that if the price drops after you make your purchase, you can alert them and you will be given the difference toward your final bill. This can be done over and over. Of course, waiting until the last minute is another way to save money because they'll be looking to fill any remaining cabins the few days before. If you want beer instead of liquor, Fosters is the best deal, at least on Carnival. Book your excursions ahead of time, and book them with someone outside of the cruiseline, unless you have excursion credits you need to use. "Chair hogs" are plentiful. If you want to go to the pool, either get there early, or find out if your shop has a serenity deck, which is adults only. Otherwise, you'll be standing around waiting for someone to get up. Free drinks....water, orange juice, apple juice....maybe tea and coffee too, I'm not sure because I don't drink those. You can buy a soda card, which gives you unlimited soda, but it's only advantageous if you drink 3+ sodas per day. You can pay for things in advance, like the mandatory gratuity. It's nice getting your bill at the end, and not having an extra $100-$200 on there. Even if you bring your own wine, there's a $10-$20 corkage fee. Bring your own cork. You said you're planning on going in April. If you wait until June, you'll get a much better rate because it's hurricane season. So if you're willing to take the risk, go for it. It's always possible to get upgraded, just by asking. Contact your travel agent, or the cruiseline and simply ask to be upgraded. You'd be surprised at how often this works. Bring plenty of 1 dollar bills (although you will be charged mandatory gratuity, so it's ok to skip this), bring a pop up clothes hamper or pop up cooler, either to keep your drinks cold, or to help keep your room straight. If you're getting a room with a balcony, bring a stretch cord to hold your balcony door open. Most rooms don't have alarm clocks, bring one if you need it. If you're going on Carnival, try to get the "Faster to the Fun" pass. There's only so many available on each cruise, and they definitely make your trip more enjoyable. Bring a power strip...most rooms only have 1-2 plugs, so you may need additional sockets to charge items and plug in alarm clocks or bathroom items. An extension cord may come in handy too. A nightlight may come in handy too, especially if you're in an inside cabin. We've never done it, but I've read numerous times about people recommending a hanging shoe bag bag/organizer that hangs on the door. It allows you to save room and store a lot of items. Don't forget medicine for sea sickness and/or flying if you think you'll need it. Be sure to read the bulletin each day and plan accordingly. Go to the comedy shows, play bingo, watch the magic show, or play the newlywed game. If it's your first time, you may want to take a ship tour. Don't worry, it's free. Want to go to the spa? Do it on port days for a deep discount. If you order a bottle of wine for dinner, they'll save it for your next meal. Other ways to sneak booze onboard....fake shampoo bottles, fill the water bottles you're bringing in, use a mouthwash bottle (you can even use food coloring) but be sure you reseal it, bring the tiny bottles you get on planes with you on your carry on, fill a wine bottle and recork/reseal it, sunscreen flasks, some cruises offer "open bar" packages, but this is only advantageous if you're going to drink 6-10 drinks per day. In my opinion, the easiest way would be to use the rum runner flasks. These also come in handy at random events. I've taken mine to Rockets and Astros games. Ok, that's all I've got, hopefully it was helpful. Enjoy your cruise!
You hide them. Put them near things that look similar, like your toiletries, or put them in shoes. I put ours in a ziploc bag too, just to be safe. If they do find and take them, they either pour them out and give you the rum runner, or they leave them full and give them back to you at the end of the trip.
Stop being a scientologist, and keep on making pretty good movies. And come out of the closet if you're gay, it's 2014 man.
